Taking Chances
by kcrella
Summary: Set in IM3. How Tony and Pepper deal with life after the Avengers. How far will their relationship go when tested by their worst enemies?
1. Chapter 1

**Just my interpretation on the Pepperony scenes from IM3. Enjoy :) **

P

Pepper stared open mouthed at the television screen. Her heart stopped and she closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She really didn't know how she coped at times. She knew her boyfriend was an idiot but did he really have to threaten a terrorist on live TV in front of all the press and inform them of his address? It was startling to her how a man said to be a genius could be so dumb at times. That was just it; he was a man. There's your answer she thought. That and he's impulsive, not to mention eccentric. Two good reasons why she was normally the one issuing statements to the press and not him.

Pepper wanted to be angry, she really did but after last night, she didn't have the heart to yell at Tony again. He had been through so much since the attack on New York but she thought there was more to it than that. He wasn't telling her something and if he dropped the: I'm –dying- and-didn't –want –to-worry- you bombshell on her again, then she might think twice about getting angry for a second time.

_T_

_He didn't intend on saying that at all. It just sorta came out. In fact, he didn't intend on saying anything to the press. Pepper had told him time and time again that she would issue statements because he always ended up saying something he shouldn't. Of course he had protested and asked when he had ever done that. Does I AM Iron Man ring any bells? Granted that was a bit stupid but it felt so damn good at the time. It was like being on top of the world. He remembered the first thing he thought as he said it was Pepper is gonna be pissed and this time was no different. _

_Actually, scratch that, it was. It was different because it felt so much worse when he'd realised what he'd done. He loved Pepper so much; she meant everything to him and what had he done? Gone and put her in harm's way. All because of his stupid ego thinking it could take on The Mandarin. He could almost see Pepper's face; anger and hurt blazing in her eyes. He wasn't sure an apology would get him through this one. _

P

It had been a long day and Pepper was glad when she finally pulled up outside her home she shared with her big mouthed boyfriend Tony Stark. He wasn't getting out of this one that easily. What the hell is that? She thought as she stopped the car. Looming at least twenty feet tall on their driveway was a massive bunny that said "Merry Christmas Pepper" on its chest. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Another thing Tony wasn't known for. Subtlety. Wondering if it would evaporate in the rain or get stolen by some other nut who thought it was a good idea to get their girlfriend a toy rabbit that wouldn't fit through the door, Pepper walked inside, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"Hey Tony, I'm home" she called as she entered the living room.

There was no reply and she nearly got the fright of her life when her eyes rested on the sofa and there was Tony in the suit sitting looking straight at her. Wait, what? In the suit? She wasn't quite sure if he was looking at her or not actually.

"So are you wearing this round the house now or something?" she said amused at her boyfriend's antics.

He stood up and walked over to where she was taking off her heels and placed his hands on her shoulders. He began to massage them lightly, careful not to crush her underneath his metal hands. She sighed at the cool touch of his suit. It surprisingly didn't hurt when he did this, although she suspected he was doing it very carefully and could hurt her if he wanted to.

"Just trying it out… do you like it?" he asked slyly.

She laughed. "What, the suit, the painful massage, or the massive bunny guarding our house?

He stopped rubbing her shoulders.

"I thought it was original."

"Define original"

"No one else will get their girlfriend a giant bunny for Christmas."

"Exactly."

"It took me ages to get it outside the house" he muttered.

"Aw Tony I love it really, it's a very sweet thought…now, aren't you going to kiss me?"

He thought about this but he wanted to string her along a little bit longer.

"…Can't, I have the mask on, but you could put one right here" he said, tapping the metal mouth of his suit playfully.

Two can play this game she thought.

"Fine then, I'll just have to get a crow bar and Jimmie it open" she whispered, leaning ever closer to Tony.

His heart was hammering wildly in his chest. What was she trying to do to him? Before, he could register what she was doing; Pepper had already begun to walk off downstairs to get a crow bar. He couldn't believe it. His sensible, no nonsense girlfriend was going to go downstairs and…

"No wait! You can't go down there you'll be at risk from uh all sorts of things."

"I'll take my chances" she said cheerily and he winced as he saw her literally skip down the stairs. She wouldn't be so cheery in a minute.

Pepper skipped down the stairs in what felt like excitement. It was so unlike her but all anger had evaporated and been replaced by a giggling, lovesick teenager. She didn't actually intend on getting the crow bar, she just wanted to make Tony think she was. What should she do when she got down there…

Pepper stopped dead in her tracks and glared at the sight in front of her.

"This brings a whole new definition to the word low" she said flatly to Tony, who was doing chin ups in his workshop with some fancy tech attached to his head.

"And you ate without me…on date night!"

"Sorry, I was hungry."

Tony Stark, the master at apologies.

"Besides, I thought you'd be having drinks with Aldrich Killian."

There was a deathly silence as she wished he didn't just say that. Even the suit, which must have followed her from upstairs (spooky), glared at her accusingly.

"That's it, I'm going to bed!" she snapped and turned on her heel back up the stairs.

"No, Pep, wait!" He sighed. "There's something I haven't been telling you."

I knew it she thought as she turned to face him, part way up the stairs. She eyed him warily.

"I'm a hot piping mess and it's like I can't control it. Nothing's been the same since New York; you experience things and then they are over. I, I can't sleep and when I do I have nightmares. God dammit I love you and I've got to protect the one thing I can't live without; that's you."

She walked over to him slowly and wound her arms round his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He laid his head on her chest and relaxed for the first time all day as she pulled him closer. She closed her eyes and thought sadly about how vulnerable he was becoming these days. It took a lot for him to admit his feelings out loud, especially if he was worried about something. Slowly and carefully, she lifted the headset off his head and pulled back to look into his eyes.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"…okay." he said leaning back against the counter top.

"And you're going to join me."

"Better!"

T

_He flinched and jumped in his sleep; sweat forming on his brow. It was happening again. Every night it would come back and haunt him. Flashes from when he almost died for the third time. He could feel the heat as he flew into the worm hole and the terrifying sensation of crashing, falling like a stone back to earth. He tried not to let it control him but it was like his mind was in over drive. He couldn't think straight and the attack replayed again and again, as if wanting to torture him. He took in short shaky, breaths but tried to fight it, hide it so he wouldn't wake Pepper beside him._

P

Not again. Her heart broke for him as she watched his body flinch and shake beside her. The nightmares were always the same and he didn't even have to tell her; she just knew.

"Tony" she whispered softly, putting her hand comfortingly on his arm.

All of a sudden, one of the suits shot up, literally landing on top of her and she screamed in fright. Tony immediately woke up and yelled at it to shut down. She watched as it crumpled into hundreds of pieces around the bed and they both sat facing away from each other.

"Let me just get my breath back." Tony pleaded as he turned to Pepper.

"No Tony, I'm going to sleep downstairs." She said holding back tears and walked out the room.

T

_Damn it. He punched the bed. These nightmares were driving a wedge between him and Pepper. He only programmed the suit to protect them both but he hadn't anticipated for it to be quite so violent. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep now. He wished Pepper was by his side; that way he would feel safer. She probably wouldn't feel that way next to him now he thought sadly. Eventually, his tired body protested and he gave into sleep for a few hours until the nightmares started again. He wasn't sure how much sleep he'd got but this one was worse than the others. His chest felt like it was constricting and his head was throbbing. He cried out to see if he was imagining the excruciating pain. He wasn't. _

P

She felt bad for reacting like that but she had been so shocked when the suit was looming over her that it was like an automatic reaction to freak out. Anyone in her position would do the same, right? It wasn't normal to have a robot calculating your every move. Now she'd gone and left Tony to deal with the nightmares on his own because she couldn't deal with it herself. She tried to put herself in his shoes and thought about how betrayed she'd feel if he wasn't there for her. Her mind was telling her one thing but her heart was saying another and when she heard Tony cry out, she ran upstairs without thinking because this was Tony. He was her boyfriend, but he was so much more than that. He was the love of her life. She kinda wanted him to admit that to her first. She knew he loved her, he'd said as much earlier. So she'd have to stop debating and be there for him now.

"Tony?"

**Thanks for reading. Drop me a review and I promise a fluffier next chapter :D**


	2. By Your Side

**Here's chapter 2! Quicker than I expected so I hope you enjoy. More of a fluffier chapter like I promised, so let me know how you think it went :)**

T

"Tony?"

The soft sound of her voice shook him from his nightmare and he sat up, gazing into the darkness.

"Pepper?" he whispered, hoping he wasn't still asleep.

"I'm here." She said and walked over to the bed.

He held his breath; tentative now that she was here. He was begging himself not to mess things up again and he still wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or not. It seemed too good to be true. He couldn't believe his luck that he was with someone so willing to be there for him; despite what he put her through on a daily basis. He reached out to touch her and her face screwed up in that adorably, cute way.

"I'm not still dreaming am I?"

"No Tony." she said, a look of worry clouding her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

He didn't want her to worry about him but he wanted some reassurance. He knew he would never openly admit that to her. Hell, he barely showed his emotional side to anyone except Pepper. He surprisingly didn't feel embarrassed about it. He knew she cared about him.

"Want to know how I'm sure?"

He nodded.

She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at him warmly. She took his hand in hers and leaned towards him; pressing her lips lightly against his. His eyes drifted shut and he breathed in the sweet smell of Pepper. That was when he fully knew he wasn't dreaming.

P

She couldn't believe he thought she was just a dream. If only she had stayed in the first place she thought, then none of this would have happened. He looked so broken sitting there; gazing at her wide eyed in wonder. It was breaking her heart again so she did the only thing she could think that would bring him back to her.

She kissed him; softly at first until he began to kiss back just as tenderly. She relaxed a little as she felt the real Tony Stark coming back to her. She watched his eyes close and deepened the kiss; letting him know she was here for him. He slid his hands into her hair, stroking her scalp softly and she pushed him gently onto the bed so she was laying half on top of him. She just watched him as he stroked her hair and pulled her tightly into his arms.

T

He didn't want to let her go; not now, not ever. He wished he could tell her this but he couldn't seem to form the words and there was still a part of him that hoped this wasn't a dream. She traced a line down his face with her fingertip and cupped his face in her palm, turning it to meet hers.

"What are you thinking?" she whispered.

"That you're the most amazing woman I've ever met. You put up with me every single day and I honestly don't know how I'd live without you. I love you Pepper."

He wrapped both his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too Tony. So much… and just for the record I don't have to put up with you. When you're in a relationship, you do anything for each other."

"Wait… we're in a relationship?"

She smacked his shoulder.

"I could just not care if you like."

"No, no that won't be necessary. I better return the favour then." He said, leaning down to kiss her again.

P

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him as close to her as possible. He thought he was the one who needed her but in fact she needed him just as much. She tried not to think about the fact that one day she might wake up and he'd be gone. She tried not to think of every tender moment as their last but it was hard when your boyfriend was public enemy number one. He meant everything to her and she knew she would need to tell him otherwise she might miss her chance and regret it for the rest of her life. She knew she shouldn't torture herself like this but she would treasure this moment whilst it lasted.

T

She was holding onto him for dear life and although it was nice, Tony was starting to get worried by her sudden silence.

"Pepper, is everything okay?" he asked, leaning back to brush the stray strands of hair from her face.

She leant into his touch and finally looked up at him, searching his eyes for…something. Reassurance maybe? There was a look of desperation in her eyes and suddenly he knew what she meant when she said people in a relationship do anything for each other. In that moment, he swore he would do anything to cure the pain in her eyes and protect her from the world.

"Please tell me" he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

"I know it's your job and I'm so proud of you and everything you have done but I wake up every morning praying that you are still beside me. Every time you go I worry myself sick, especially since the attack on New York and now I worry that it's going to happen again. Someone will try to take you away from me Tony and… I feel like I'm living every moment like my last with you. You mean everything to me."

He stared at her for a moment, letting this all sink in.

"Pepper, I will always come back to you. I promise."

He flipped them over so he was hovering above her and crushed his lips against hers.

She whimpered at his sudden attack on her lips and kissed him back just as eagerly. They kissed passionately, pouring all their worry and desperation into it. He pulled away, merely to get his breath back and looked lovingly down at Pepper beneath him. She was gazing up at him in the same way but with tears in her eyes. He reached down and wiped them away, letting his hand linger to stroke her cheek.

"Don't cry." He whispered, feeling his heart ache at the sad look on her face.

"I'm not."

She caught his hand as he pulled back and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm sorry I left you earlier." She sighed.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. You needed me and I freaked out." She said angrily.

"Hey, don't do that to yourself Pepper. You're here now and that's all that matters."

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't deserve it but thank you Tony."

"All this time it's been me the one not deserving you and now it's the other way round." He joked.

"Ha ha and don't you ever think you don't deserve me Tony. You make me happier than anyone else ever has and I wouldn't want to be with anyone but you."

She never failed to make him feel wanted. He was used to feeling wanted for one night by some girl who was only interested in his fame and money but with Pepper it wasn't either of those things that mattered; it was something deeper. She loved him and would never grow tired of him. He wasn't an insecure person but he really had no idea when it came to relationships. However, he knew one thing for sure.

"I'm so in love with you Pepper." He breathed and buried his head in her neck, kissing it softly.

P

She trembled beneath the hot touch of his lips on her neck. She sighed; it felt so good and he just said he was in love with her. She noticed the fact that he said _in _love with her rather than I love you. It meant so much more. You tell so many people you love them that it just becomes a throw away comment. She knew he loved his suits, his cars and his robots. You don't just tell anyone that you're in love with them. She felt exhilarated that they both felt the same way. It had taken them this long to finally admit it to each other.

He rolled off of her and wound his arms around her waist pulling her as close as possible. He rested his head on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She ran her hand through his hair and smiled when he kissed her sweetly.

"Tony?"

"Mmm?"

She hated to ruin the moment but she had to ask.

"What are you going to do about the Mandarin?"

"I don't know Pep but don't worry about it; I've got it under control."

She snorted.

"Yeah, blurting out our address to the press is a good way to get the situation under control."

"I knew you'd be pissed about that."

"I'm not pissed!"

"Yes you are. I can tell by your tone of voice!"

"Okay, maybe a little. This is why I'm CEO of the company."

"Excuse me but who let you be CEO?"

"Let me? I would have demanded it after you hid away for weeks on end so you didn't have to face up to your problems."

He cringed. Why was she always right?

"I knew we'd work better as a team." He whispered in her ear.

"Me too." She said patting his cheek. "Now let's get some sleep."

"Mmm sounds good." He said and fell asleep with Pepper in his arms; the nightmares forgotten.


	3. A Necessary Evil

**Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Got exams soon so once they are over it will hopefully be much quicker. I know some of the events in this story are in a different order to the film and I know in this chapter Pepper realistically wouldn't do this but I hope it's okay :D Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favourites too! This chapter is dedicated to NCISVILLE with whom I have many long and in depth conversations with. Thanks for being a great friend and I hope you get to read this soon! :)**

T

He awoke to still find Pepper in his arms. It was the best feeling in the world except well maybe… not the time he thought. He was sure he could stay like this all day if she'd let him, which she wouldn't but oh well. He watched her sleep, noting the soft rise and fall of her chest and the delicate features of her face; serene and peaceful. She was so perfect. He began kissing her neck, nuzzling his head against her skin until she began to stir next to him.

"Are you trying to wake me up?" she mumbled into the pillow.

"No, what made you say that?" he joked.

"Don't stop; it's much better than my alarm."

He laughed.

"Funny Potts, you know I don't think I'm fully awake yet either…"

"Nice try Stark, I could feel you watching me sleep."

He pouted. "So I don't even get a good morning kiss?"

"If you're lucky." She grinned.

"Is that a challenge Miss Potts?" he smirked. His eyes darted around the room and she sat frozen in the bed, wondering what the hell he was going to do to her. His eyes darkened and all of a sudden he lunged himself at her, causing her to squeak in surprise. He began kissing her passionately without giving her a chance to breathe and she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him back until they both fell back on the bed, exhausted.

"Morning Pepper." He smiled over at her.

"Morning." She said swinging out of bed.

"Wait, where are you going? I'm right here!" he pouted.

"To get ready for work; I've got meetings literally all day."

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get Pepper to stay and glad that she would be the one going to the meetings and not him, he just laid back in bed and watched her hurry around getting ready.

"I'll miss you." He whined.

"I'll miss you too." She smiled and stopped to lean down and kiss him on the lips. He wrapped his arms round her neck and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

"Mnf…Tony."

"No."

"I have to go; I'm going to be late. See you tonight."

"You betcha."

P

Today was going to be stressful, she just knew it. Ever since becoming CEO, she had been working non-stop and seeing less and less of Tony which made the days drag on sometimes. She really did miss him being there all the time, even if it was just to piss her off. She enjoyed working at Stark Industries though. Tony let her make all the decisions now and she liked being in control. The company was flourishing and she was happy to take credit for some of that.

"Pepper!"

"Happy!" she smiled as she saw Tony's bodyguard and now head of security walking towards her. They walked through the lobby together and she rolled her eyes as he tapped his badge at everyone in sight.

"Happy, about the uh badge."

"Good isn't it!" he grinned, "I get so much more respect from everyone."

"Really? Well, there have been 300 staff complaints in the last month…"

"Great!"

"It's not a compliment."

"Miss Potts, your 4'0 clock is here." interrupted the secretary.

"Oh, okay thank you."

Pepper took a deep breath. What a nice way to start the day; with the cocky, flirty jerk she used to work with; Aldrich Killian. She had lost count of the number of times he had asked her out, he was worse than Tony she thought wryly. Leaving AIM was the best thing that ever happened to her and she made that pretty clear the day she walked out the door. If he asked her out again, she might just set Happy on him. He was taking his security position very seriously.

"Pepper are you sure you'll be alright in there…who is this guy?"

"Aldrich Killian and I'll be fine but thank you for the concern."

"Are you sure? I mean he could be pretty shifty Pepper."

Damn right he is she thought but she didn't tell Happy this or the fact that she'd met him briefly yesterday.

"I used to work with him and uh he used to ask me out all the time."

"Maybe I should come in with you to y'know, scare him off."

"Happy, stand down. It's fine, I've got it." She said giving him a bemused smile yet secretly pleased by his concern. She knew Tony would be even worse if he was here which made her smile again.

The reason Killian was here again was because she had asked him back. Pepper had declined his offer of joining his team yesterday but something had been bugging her ever since. There was something not quite right about what he was trying to achieve and knowing Killian, there would be some ulterior motive in it for himself. That was why she was going to pretend she actually wanted to join his company and find out what he was up to. She knew she should have talked to Tony about this first but with all that had been going on lately, she didn't want to give him something else to stress over. Also, she was CEO, so technically she could do what she wanted. What if this was a potential threat to Stark Industries? Then again it could be nothing, but she had thought of it yesterday when she was driving home and once Pepper Potts had a plan, there was no stopping her.

She was a bit nervous about pulling this off. She had gone over it again and again in her head, perfecting what she was going to say. She wasn't particularly good at lying or nothing this big anyway. Well here goes.

T

Mark 42 was proving to be a problem. It was like a disobedient child and for once Tony was the one telling it off.

"Think you can jump on my girlfriend like that in the middle of the night, well think again buddy, that's my job." He muttered whilst welding and screwing away at the face plate. He was going to do a proper test on it this time, try and get some control over the thing. He stood in the middle of the room and waited. Something wasn't right.

"JARVIS, drop my needle."

On cue, music began to blare into the workshop but it wasn't the normal rock tunes that played. Nope, this was entirely different. He was in a good mood today and it was getting near Christmas, he ought to be celebrating. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was perfect for the occasion. He flexed his arms and got ready for his newest invention. If all went to plan, the suit would fly onto him. It kinda hadn't worked so far but it would; it just needed a little tinkering. Well here goes.

P

"Killian, good to see you again." She forced a smile.

"Pepper." He smirked. "We must stop meeting like this."

She had to stop herself from shuddering in disgust. Why did he ever think she would join him when he flirted shamelessly like this?

"I've been thinking about what you said and I've changed my mind."

He didn't even look surprised.

"I knew you'd help me Pepper, you can do so much better than what they offer you here."

She clenched her teeth and tried to make it look like she actually wanted this.

"I didn't say I was leaving Stark Industries Killian, I'll see how it goes."

"Of course, that would be hard news to break to Tony now wouldn't it? And please; it's Aldrich."

What was he playing at? Did he know what she was up to? It felt like he was trying to make her crack with his smarmy comments and lingering looks.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then." She said boldly.

"Yes, you know where to find me." He flashed a smile, revealing a set of perfect white teeth.

She nodded and left without another word. He made her feel sick. If she didn't think he was up to something in the beginning, she did now.

T

He extended his arm and watched as the corresponding part of the suit hovered in the air. The repulsor glowed and it shot towards him; latching onto his arm. He jumped at the sheer force with which the suit attached itself to him. It shouldn't be that fast he thought and without warning the rest of the suit flew towards him and he moved quickly to allow it to form around him, even when the hip plate slammed into his crotch. That wasn't so hard he thought, just the face to go.

"C'mon." he coaxed.

It rose up and faced him (no pun intended) almost menacingly. Right if that's how you want to play it he thought. As the faceplate flew towards him, Tony jumped and flipped in the suit, landing one knee down and faceplate attached on the workshop floor. It felt exhilarating.

"I'm the best." He grinned. However, the expression was quickly wiped from his face as he was shot forward and the suit crumbled into pieces, leaving him sprawled on the floor to nurse his ego.

"Not bad." He wheezed.

P

She honestly had no idea how she was going to break this to Tony. How was he going to take the fact that she was going to work for Killian after his comment about him yesterday? He had so much to deal with already that she felt guilty just thinking about it. In the best case scenario, she was hoping he would understand and realise it was in the best interests of the company. She was also thinking about what was best for him too. The technology that Killian was developing could be life changing and extremely dangerous. That would be another problem that Iron Man would have to solve. If she could stop if before it happened, surely he could forgive her?

Pepper wondered what her handsome, tinkering boyfriend had been up to all day. No doubt he'd be in the workshop and she prayed to God that he'd be in a good mood after the bombshell she was about to drop on him.

T

He left the workshop after that little accident. He had a few cuts and bruises which needed tending to before Pepper saw them and would ask what he'd been up to. He really did love how much she cared about him though, even if he didn't show it. He really did need to show it though he thought to himself as he dabbed at a cut on his chest. Pepper was the best thing that had ever happened to him and maybe Happy was right when he said he was just ignoring her. He didn't mean to be down in the workshop the whole time, it was just something he did. He definitely didn't want to ignore her and he hoped she didn't think that.

They hadn't had a proper date in ages. They didn't have time to be honest so this would just have to do. He decided to get some take out and set up a dinner and some wine for when she got back; just to show her how much she was appreciated and loved.

P

She got back home to find it deathly quiet and the lights dimmed.

"Tony? What's going on?"

Arms encircled her waist from behind and she felt Tony press a kiss to her cheek.

"I prepared us dinner…and wine! Admittedly, I didn't actually uh make the food, I ordered take out and…"

She turned to stare at him stumbling over his words, thinking how adorable he looked when he did that.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's perfect" she whispered and slid her arms round his neck to pull him closer.

His grin told her just how relieved he was to get this right for once and her heart sank at the thought of having to ruin their evening together. Maybe she just wouldn't tell him.

T

Why have I never learned to cook properly? This thought had never bothered him before but with Pepper he would do anything to make her happy. She seemed happy enough with take out and he felt blessed again to have such a wonderful girlfriend. She needed to know how much he loved her before it was too late. He knew that if he left it too long he would never get the chance to tell her.

Tony's life was under threat all the time and yeah that was mostly his own fault for threatening enemies but he also knew they might come after Pepper and that was something he wouldn't let happen.

"Long day?" he murmured.

"Like you'd never believe."

"What have you been doing all day?" she said taking his hand and pulling him gently over to the table.

"Well I fixed the suit so it won't jump on you in the middle of the night again."

"That's good to know."

He smirked.

"How about your day?"

She took a sip of wine, preparing herself for what she was about to say. There were no words…oh shit there were literally no words able to come out her mouth, instead she said weakly:

"This is good wine!"

He gave her a strange look and studied her carefully.

"Pep, what are you not telling me?" he said softly. She realised those were the exact same words she had said to him about a year back and this made her feel tearful. She wondered if he knew what he'd said. It was making this a lot harder to say.

"You're going to hate me for what I'm about to say Tony but I honestly think it's the right thing to do."

"Pepper." He said. "I will never hate you. I love you and nothing you say or do is going to change that unless you sleep with some other hot billionaire!" he joked, trying to make light of the situation.

Whatever she was trying to tell him, he would try to make it easier for her. Ridiculous and endless possibilities were filling his head. Was she going to break up with him? Was there someone else? God forbid, was she dying this time?

"Tony, stop trying to figure out what it is!"

My God this woman could read him like a book.

He gave her a brief smile.

"Well what is it? You aren't leaving me are you?" he said half joking but secretly hoping this wasn't the case.

"No, of course not! How can you even think that? The thing is well I saw Killian again today and I asked to work for AIM again."

If anything this had not been what Tony had been expecting. He just stared at her as if she'd gone insane. She took this as her cue to continue.

"I don't actually want to work for him, in fact I pretty much hate the guy but there's something off about him. I think he's trying to destroy Stark Industries and I'm going to stop him."

"Pepper, why in the hell did you think this would ever be a good idea? Who's going to run the company?"

He realised as he said it that that probably wasn't the best opener but he was angry. Why hadn't she told him before she did it? Damn it why didn't he say that first.

"Is that all you care about Tony? Your company? What about me? What if I wanted to do something to help both of us instead of just sitting about whilst you just swan off and get hurt?"

"I don't swan off! I do it to protect you Pepper and I can't do that if you are getting together with Killian behind my back and…"

"For God's sake, I'm not going to get together with Killian! You are such a jealous, arrogant idiot sometimes Tony, I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Well maybe if you had told me first. God Pepper, I can't believe this!" he ran a hand through his hair exasperated.

"_You _can't believe this?! What if I'm right and he is up to something? Think how much easier it will be to stop him earlier rather than later."

"You're not right Pepper just drop it. I planned this nice dinner for us and you ruined it!"

P

She was on the verge of crying, she couldn't believe how selfish he was being. She really thought he'd understand. She knew he was just annoyed and didn't mean any of those things. Well she hoped he didn't but she felt in her heart that it was right. Wait that was what she needed to say to persuade him.

"Tony, I know you are angry at me but remember when you wanted me to hack into the Stark Industries main frame and I was doubtful? Remember what you said to me?"

He paused and just stared at her, looking scarily betrayed.

"Pepper, why does this matter?"

"Just tell me!"

"Fine, I said… I just finally know what I have to do and I know…. in my heart that it's right."

He looked up at her with his huge bourbon eyes and she looked back at him; her ocean blue eyes glistening with tears.

"I'm not crazy Tony; I just know what I have to do."

**Ta - da! Kinda wondering what's gonna happen next? He wouldnt really stay mad at her would he?! **


	4. Chapter 4

It seemed like an eternity as they just stood there and looked at each other, Pepper pleading with him to understand. Tony finally broke the silence.

"Pep, I don't know. I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt."

She reached up and stroked his cheek.

"I know but I promise I'll be careful and I feel the same way about you, you know? Getting hurt and all."

He caught her hand and took both of them in his, stroking his thumb over her soft skin.

"I love you Pepper and I didn't mean what I said earlier; I was just concerned."

"I love you too Tony and I know, it's okay."

"How about some dinner that I so lovingly prepared?"

Tony's eyes lit up.

"That sounds so good but um won't it be kind of cold now?" Pepper said hating that she'd ruined their evening.

"Oh yeah…shoot sorry. I should really leave the food department to you."

He smiled briefly but she could tell he was upset that the evening hadn't gone to plan. She also felt bad since she was the one who broke the news about working for Killian. She could see how hard Tony had worked to set up a proper date night and she felt guilty. They hadn't had a nice meal and evening in together for a while and she didn't want to blow him off for work. It was rare that they were both free for once.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I could have told you about this another time or actually told you before I did it. I'll go and grab some more takeout and we can have an evening in like you planned." She smiled, hoping this made up for it.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you Pep."

"Hmm." She said wrapping her arms round his neck, thinking about this. "Starve and spend all your time in your workshop avoiding board meetings I think."

"I was kind of expecting you to say I love you too Tony don't know what I'd do without you blah blah blah but okay at least I know where we're at." He chuckled, sliding his arms round her waist.

She rolled her eyes.

"I do love you Tony you know that."

"Well I like to be reminded sometimes."

"I can remind you in many other ways." She whispered, leaning towards his face.

His heart sped up but he was distracted. It couldn't wait anymore.

"As much as I'd like to take you up on that offer later; please can we get some food, I'm starving!"

"Way to ruin a moment but yeah okay, I'm kind of hungry too."

_Twenty minutes later_

"It's so nice not to be working for once."

"Bet you've forgotten what it feels like to relax." Tony smirked, picking at his noodles.

"Yeah, I have but if you think about it I literally am still at work."

"That was when you were my PA though and now you get to boss _me_ about."

"Yep."

"Pepper, you don't get sick of seeing me every day because you know… we are in a relationship, we live together and we work together?"

She frowned.

"What? No, of course not! That's what I love so much about our relationship in a way; we are always together, unless of course you'd prefer to be apart?" she grinned.

"Well I'd be bored, sure, but I think I'd survive."

"Really. Social security number?"

He paused, looking like a deer trapped in the headlights. She had to fight back a laugh.

"…Damn it. Why can I never remember this?"

"Looks like you need me to stay then."

"Fine by me." he smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. He really couldn't imagine ever letting her go. Times like this when it was just the two of them, made him realise how lucky he was and he reached for her hand across the table. She placed it in his and smiled back at him.

"Can I ask you a question Pepper?

"Sure, what's up?"

"What exactly are you going to do if Killian is up to something?"

She paused at his unexpected question. It was such a sudden change of subject and the mood in the room shifted.

"I…well, I was hoping you might help me with that." She admitted.

Surprised, he cocked his head to one side.

"How do you mean?"

"Bring his company down. Destroy it."

"And why did you think I'd be good at that?" he chuckled, knowing exactly why.

"Well it's kind of obvious that you hate the man Tony and the jealousy is written all over your face!"

He scowled not expecting _that_.

"The fact that he came to _you_ about joining his company."

"Well I am CEO."

"Well I think he's a creep who wants to get you into bed."

"I think it's sweet that you want to protect me but I'm pretty sure he doesn't. Killian means business and even if he did want that, it would be a definite no." She said squeezing Tony's hand.

She realised how much Tony cared about her and it really touched her to know that.

They cleaned up the empty plates and put the rest of the food in the bin. Tony flopped down onto the sofa and held his arms out for Pepper. She happily settled herself into his arms, sitting in between his legs with her back resting against his chest. She didn't want to admit it was kind of uncomfortable leaning against the arc reactor but he shifted so she could lay to one side a bit more. She traced the outline of the arc reactor with her fingertips and he watched her, entranced as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"This is nice." She said

"Mmm, why don't we do this more often?"

"Because you are always busy in the workshop."

"Oh so it's my fault now?"

"Well it's true…"

"What about all the times you don't have time for me because it's just one more report that could wait for tomorrow?"

"Don't think that I don't have time for you, I'll always make time for you Tony. Like now!" she added with a smirk.

"Actually I made time for you but whatever."

She shifted in his arms so she could smack his chest.

"Hey! What was that for?" he protested, feigning a look of hurt.

"What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know why my normally nice girlfriend would want to abuse me like that, no."

"Nice? Is that it?"

"What? It's a perfectly good compliment."

"Never in any situation do you tell a woman they are or look 'nice'."

"Can I say it if you don't?"

She smacked him again.

"Duly noted."

Tony woke up some hours later and groaned at the feeling of his stiff muscles screaming at him to move. He realised he was still on the couch from last night and much to his amusement and delight, Pepper was sprawled across his chest. He brushed some hair from her face and stroked her back absentmindedly, stiff muscles forgotten.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the time?"

He glanced at the clock. It read 8:30.

"10:30, why?" he said casually.

Pepper was off him like a shot.

"What?! Why didn't you wake me? Oh god, I'm so late!"

He watched from the sofa as she rushed around and her gaze finally rested on the clock. He winced. No damage here hopefully. Pepper Potts was a morning person right? That was why she was always haranguing him so early about stuff he never did.

"Tony Stark! How dare you convince me I was late, you know it's my first day working for Killian! Is this some sort of evil payback?"

He raised his eyebrows. He hadn't even thought of that.

"No actually but come to think of it…"

She scowled and chucked a cushion at him. That wasn't so bad he thought, at least it was a cushion and not a shoe. He watched her walk away, wondering if she'd come back to the sofa if he apologised. Not likely.

"I'm going to pay for that in some subtle way later aren't I?" he called after her.

"Not gonna be that subtle."

_An hour later at AIM HQ_

Pepper straightened her suit for the second time and wondered whether she was making a big mistake by agreeing to work for Killian. She was starting to think Tony was right for once although she wouldn't admit that to him. This could be dangerous and there was no way of telling what Aldrich Killian was capable of.

She couldn't even bring herself to open the door to his office; this felt so wrong. All of a sudden it was flung open by Aldrich himself and flustered, she tried to get some words out to explain herself.

"Ah Pepper, there you are! I was starting to think you'd bailed on me!"

"No, no of course not." She smiled tightly.

"Did Tony throw a tantrum when you broke the news?"

"No, but he wasn't happy about it." Pepper said slowly, wondering why it was any of his business anyway.

"Oh, well I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. I'm sure he has a lot of other things to think about considering he is Iron Man."

She took a deep breath and tried not to get angry or walk out. That was what he wanted anyway. He was testing her to see if she would crack.

"Everything's fine but I'd prefer it if you didn't tell the press about me working here, just until I've settled in a bit more."

Pepper could just imagine the field day the reporters would have if they found out about this and although she wouldn't particularly care, she never read them anyway; she knew Tony wouldn't be as blasé about it. She was surprised that Tony hadn't been angrier about this decision to be honest. She loved him so much and they put an incredible amount of trust into each other. She wouldn't want to hurt him or ruin what they had.

"Oh right, of course but I'm sure you'll love it here. Come on, I'll show you around." Killian replied, not looking fazed in the slightest.

She followed Killian as he began to talk her through all his research and what each room was dedicated to. It was a lot to take in and it reminded her why she had stopped working for him all these years ago. Work like this took years to build up and it was hard to pitch an idea to investors when work was still in progress.

"Right and finally this is the lab where my fellow scientists have been developing what we are calling the Extremis drug. It's highly powerful and there are no limits to what it can do. Restore limbs, super strength; it's the mother figure of all drugs."

Pepper looked into the window of the lab and watched men and women, deep in concentration as they mixed chemicals and wrote down results. One experiment caught her eye as she watched a young woman pour chemicals onto a plant. It automatically began to grow and Pepper couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth.

"Impressive isn't it?" Killian smirked.

She nodded. "What can I do?"

"Well I didn't figure you as much of a scientist; you never were, so I thought you'd be happier in research."

This was never the case but Pepper just agreed and followed him to an office that he'd set up 'just for her'. After thanking him, she was finally left in peace to think about how she was going to go about getting hold of that drug.

T:

"So what exactly are they doing to protect everyone?" Tony asked Rhodey; his lifelong best friend as they sat in a bar having a drink.

"Tony that's classified information; I can't tell you." said Rhodey.

Tony rolled his eyes.

Sensing his friend would probably act himself if he didn't think everyone was safe, Rhodey decided to tell him.

"Right, so there is total private security everywhere, including airports and district lines which are on the lookout for anyone suspicious. As for the Air Force, we are all on call and at the ready."

"Any news on the Mandarin?"

"None so far, but he's a tricky guy. There's been no trace of him anywhere; this guy isn't an amateur."

"That's what I was afraid of." Tony sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired face.

"Man you look like you haven't slept in three days." Rhodey said worriedly.

"That's coz I haven't…well properly anyway."

Rhodey just stared at him. Tony caught his eye.

"I'm fine!"

"Sure." Rhodey said half-heartedly.

P

Once Pepper had exhausted what she deemed to be research by reading up on body enhancing technologies which so far had been unsuccessful, she decided to turn to some research of her own.

She hurriedly began to go through filing cabinets, pulling out sheaves of paper and skimming them for something that would tell her exactly what was going on here. After what seemed like hours of going through design ideas and notes, she stumbled upon some important looking contracts. Bingo she thought to herself.

The contracts talked about dispatches of machinery called 'Extremis Machines'. From what she could tell, the machine would come in pieces to be assembled by hand and powered by what was listed as 'company material'. It was all very vague and she wasn't sure if this was going to help her case but it was better than nothing. Maybe Tony could make some sense of it all. She slipped the contracts into her bag, checked she hadn't left any of the files out and was about to leave when Aldrich burst in.

"Just coming to get something." He said.

She nodded.

"I was just about to leave, if that's okay?"

"Yes that's fine I'll see you tomorrow." He said, not really paying attention to her but staring into the distance.

Frowning, she left. He definitely wanted her out of there but what was he doing? She paused outside the door to see if she could hear anything but it was completely silent. She walked off before he could burst in on her again. She would have to be more careful in future if he kept doing that. She hoped he wouldn't notice the missing contracts.

T

He heard the door bang and grinned as Pepper greeted him from the hallway.

"Hey honey." He replied and patted the sofa next to him. She sat happily and he kissed her, revelling in the taste of her lips he had missed all day. He didn't stop until they were both gasping for breath.

"What was that for?"

"I just missed you. That's all."

"I missed you too. I don't know how much of Killian I can stand." Pepper said, settling underneath his arm and curling her feet up on the sofa.

"That bad?" he chuckled, pulling her to his chest.

"He's a pompous idiot and he hasn't changed since I met him all those years ago."

"Did you find anything out?"

"Kind of but it's quite vague. I was hoping you'd have a look for me. It sounded like something you might know about."

She reached for her bag which she'd dumped on the floor as she'd come in.

"Pepper Potts, stealing from her boss, I can't believe you!" he joked.

"Do you want to have a look or not?" she smirked.

She passed the documents to Tony and they poured over them together. He was quiet and she watched as his brows furrowed in concentration. He looked so cute when he did that.

"Any ideas?"

"It sounds like a pretty big machine and from the materials it uses; you're looking at a piece of technology which aids a process. It would virtually not work without a counterpart to fuel it. It doesn't say what that is but these things aren't cheap to make. Killian must be pretty sure that what he is doing is going to be successful. Does that help?"

Pepper felt sick; all the pieces were sliding into place.

"Yes, it does. Thank you."

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)**


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